Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Arkansas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

CBarlingSafer than 34% of U.S. towns C−MenaSafer than 16% of U.S. towns

Schools

BBarlingBetter than 58% of districts in the state B+MenaBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

CBarlingHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns C−MenaHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns

14Barling

6Mena

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 127 towns #115#12 Cheapest rentCost of living · 126 towns #105#7 Most new homesHousing · 118 towns #12#98 Most remote workersWork · 126 towns #36#104 Lowest property taxCost of living · 127 towns #90#24 Most conserved landOutdoors · 107 towns #12#64 SafestSafety · 106 towns #34#66 Lowest obesityHealth · 127 towns #7#44

Left end = #1 in Arkansas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Barling’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Barling$1,180/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $1,128/mo · Housing →

Mena$1,130/mo

Typical home $202K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.43% · or rent about $639/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BarlingMena

Snow a year3″4″

January low30°F 28°F

July high94°F 90°F

Growing season (days)224d 208d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th 51st

Outdoors & history

BarlingMena

Trails4 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.5%0.8%

Settled1956 1896

National Register places—11

Archive photos6 12

Famous people born here1 10

Community

BarlingMena

Library hours a week—42 hrs

Colleges in town—1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

52 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BarlingAR MenaAR

Barling ↔ Mena52 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Arkansas average

BarlingMena

People

Population 5,007Lowest 5,582Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.9%Highest AR: +3.3% -2.6%Lowest AR: +3.3%

Median age 42.5±4.6Lowest 10% above AR 42.7±7.1Highest 11% above AR

Mena and Barling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 18.3%±4.1Lowest AR: 23.1% 18.7%±4.2Highest AR: 23.1%

Mena and Barling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 19.8%±4.5Lowest AR: 17.6% 20.9%±3.8Highest AR: 17.6%

Mena and Barling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.1%Highest AR: 25.7% 18.4%Lowest AR: 25.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±3Highest AR: 5.1% 2.3%±1.6Lowest AR: 5.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $54,387±$8kHighest 11% below AR $47,428±$8kLowest 22% below AR

Barling and Mena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $140,000±$19kHighest 26% below AR $132,900±$19kLowest 29% below AR

Barling and Mena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,128±$130Highest 19% above AR $639±$118Lowest 33% below AR

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,143Highest 10% above AR $569Lowest 45% below AR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.1%±20.1Highest AR: 44.8% 26.9%±10.4Lowest AR: 44.8%

Barling and Mena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 15.1%Highest AR: 16% 13.9%Lowest AR: 16%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Highest AR: 66.4% 67.5%Lowest AR: 66.4%

Typical home builtmedian year 1988Highest 1 yr newer than AR 1980Lowest 7 yrs older than AR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minHighest 20% below AR 16 minLowest 30% below AR

Work from home 9%±3.9Highest AR: 8.8% 2.4%±2.2Lowest AR: 8.8%

Work in townworking residents 2%Lowest 46.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miHighest 3.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.32Lowest 1.94Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Fort Smith (59%)Fort Smith (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MenaFew work in Barling

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.6 miHighest 1.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 22.0Lowest 66.9Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #28 of 113 in AR #45 of 113 in AR

School district FORT SMITH SCHOOL DISTRICTUA RICH MOUNTAIN TECHNICAL CENTER · MENA SCHOOL DISTRICT

High school in town None in townMena High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 6.7

Arkansas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Barling neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Barling’s Town Square.

Mena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mena’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Barling and Mena

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Barling

+ Compare

Fort Smith89,805 people · $178K homes

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Central City627 people · $135K homes

Towns like Barling

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Paris3,284 people · $123K homes

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Corning3,134 people · $90K homes

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Lonoke4,267 people · $107K homes

+ Compare

Southside4,246 people · $151K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Barling vs Mena

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Barling places higher on 14 of 21 AR lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

52 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Barling and Mena

Bordering Barling

Towns like Barling

Post to Barling

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